S Korean president says to take cautious approach to THAAD issue

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday that he will take a cautious approach to the issue on the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.

Moon made the remarks at a meeting with floor leaders of the five major parties, including the ruling Democratic Party, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, the centrist People's Party, the minor conservative Righteous Party and the minor liberal Justice Party, presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun told reporters.

Moon's special envoys arrived in Beijing and Washington respectively earlier this week to explain the new government's policy stance on the issues of the Korean Peninsula.

On April 26, part of THAAD elements, including two mobile launchers, radar and other equipments, were secretly transported to a golf course at Soseong-ri village in Seongju county, North Gyeongsang province.

The golf course, which Lotte Group, the country's fifth-biggest conglomerate had owned, was designated as a site for THAAD that Seoul and Washington agreed in July last year to deploy in southeast South Korea.

The secret transportation caused strong backlash from residents and peace activists who had stood sentry beside the entrance road to the golf course to block any further deployment of other THAAD elements.

A THAAD battery is composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, the AN/TPY-2 radar and the fire & control unit.

A special committee of the ruling party announced its plan to push for parliamentary hearings on the THAAD deployment decision to find any illegitimacy and illegality in the decision-making process.